Choosing Health Screenings by Age
Blue Daily
| 5 min read
As many as seven in 10 American adults are not up to date on routine health screenings. Here are recommended health screenings for each age range:
Health screenings from ages 18 to 35
Between the ages of 18 and 30, most health screenings check for risk factors for possible medical conditions.
Get a blood pressure screening every three to five years
You’ll receive a blood pressure screening at annual physicals but get a screening every three to five years if you are healthy, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Get screenings more often if you have diabetes, heart disease, kidney problems, have a first-degree relative with blood pressure issues, have had high blood pressure during a pregnancy or if you are Black.
Get dental exams once or twice a year
Dental exams help maintain oral health and can reveal symptoms or warning signs of various diseases.
Get an eye exam every five years
If you wear glasses or contacts, you may need to have an exam more often. An exam every five years for most adults every five years is suitable. The exam tests your vision and checks for cataracts, glaucoma and other ocular conditions.
Stay current on vaccinations
By the time you turned 18, you may have had some of these immunizations at least once, but stay current on:
- Flu shot (annual)
- COVID-19 vaccine and boosters
- Tdap vaccine (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis)
- Tetanus-diphtheria (once every ten years)
- Varicella vaccination (unless you had chicken pox)
- Hepatitis B vaccine
- MMR vaccine (measles, mumps and rubella)
- HPV vaccine (human papillomavirus)
Hepatitis C and HIV screenings
These are generally one-time screenings unless you are exposed.
Other screenings
Women under 35, consider the following:
- Cervical cancer screenings every three years, starting at age 21.
- Breast cancer screenings and mammograms for women with genetic markers for breast cancer or with a relative who had breast cancer, especially young. Otherwise, breast cancer screenings aren’t recommended until age 40.
Men under 35, consider these screenings:
- Cholesterol screening starting at age 20 for men with risk factors for coronary heart disease.
- Colon cancer screenings if you have a family history of colon cancer or inflammatory bowel disease.
- Regular testicular examinations.
Health screenings from ages 35 to 65
Here are additional or adjusted health screenings for adults older than 35:
Diabetes screening every three years
Get screened for prediabetes and diabetes at least once every three years. If you have a relative with diabetes, high blood pressure, a history of heart disease, are overweight or plan on becoming pregnant, you may need to be screened more often.
Blood pressure screening once a year
You’ll need screenings more regularly if you have a higher risk.
Colorectal cancer screening every 3 to 5 years
From age 35 to 45, discuss colorectal screenings with your doctor. They might be recommended if you have a family history of colorectal cancer, polyps or if you have inflammatory bowel disease. Starting at age 45, colorectal cancer screenings are recommended at regular intervals for all adults, including:
- a stool test every year
- sigmoidoscopy every five to 10 years
- colonoscopy every 10 years
In the event of irregular results, you may need additional screenings.
Eye exams every two to four years
Starting at age 40, increase the frequency of eye exams to once every two to four years.
Lung cancer screening
A lung cancer screening is more important once you reach age 50, but you may want to start screening earlier especially if you have any history of smoking in the past 15 years or a family history of cancer.
Osteoporosis screening
If you have risk factors for osteoporosis, start screening before age 60.
Stay current on immunizations and vaccinations
The list of vaccinations is the same for older adults. Respiratory diseases like the flu or COVID-19 have more of an effect as patients age.
Other screenings
For women ages 40 to 65, these screenings are recommended:
- Cervical cancer screenings every three to five years
- Breast cancer screenings and mammograms every one to two years
For men ages 40 to 65, these screenings are recommended:
- Prostate cancer screenings for men with a family history of prostate cancer or who are Black.
Health screenings from ages 65 and older
Your provider may suggest a hearing test, or you may notice a loss of hearing that leads you to get one.
There are no other new screenings suggested once you reach age 65, however, the frequency of health screenings for cancer and other diseases may increase to once annually.
Cervical cancer screenings can stop at age 65 for women who have not had any irregular or positive results from cervical cancer screenings for at least three consecutive screenings and have had their most recent screening in the past five years. Once men and women reach age 75, colorectal cancer screenings can stop if there are no other risk factors and no irregular results from past screenings.
Take steps to learn your family health history and your inherent risk factors for various conditions and diseases and maintain open communication with your primary care provider about risks and screenings.
Photo credit: Getty Images
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